Where Demons Hide
by samdragon57
Summary: Ghosts are real, definitely. But Danny sure isn't one of them. He's something more powerful, sinister even. As Danny comes to grips with his newfound identity, he must struggle to prove that he really is one of the good guys.
1. Otherside

**Chapter named after Otherside by Red Hot Chili Peppers**

 **It would be ridiculous to assume that I own anything concerning the Danny Phantom universe.**

 **Important author's note at the bottom please read!**

* * *

It had been nearly seven years since Maddie first started working for the GIW, not even a few months after the birth of her beautiful baby girl.

Just after their big discovery, news of the Fenton's echoed around the globe. And presently as it hit their ears, renowned scientists openly refuted the idea other dimensions could exist, and therefore, a portal could not be opened.

Promptly after Maddie had been released from the hospital, little Jasmine in her arms, two agents dressed in white rang the doorbell of the Fenton's eccentric house. They had tried to shove a packet of papers in her hands with the simple request of "please sign here". At first, Maddie had been adamant to refuse them- no way would she give some shady government agency the chance to steal her life's work. Jack eventually convinced her that they should sign the contract. Stated within the fine print, it revealed that the GIW would pay for all expenses, including the hiring of lab assistants, which the Fenton's could hand pick themselves. Better yet, they were able to do all their work in their personal lab at home in the oversized basement.

The only downside was the constant observation the GIW put them in. Once a week, a pair of agents in fresh pressed suits came to survey their notes and invade their space. Even without the occasional babysitter, prying eyes gazed down on the team of scientists from the cameras mounted at each corner of the lab.

But it had all been worth it. The long two years of formulas and theories, another five to build their masterpiece. It took up nearly the entire surface area of the far wall, hexagonal in shape, and made of cold steel. Although it was the tallest object in the lab, it didn't take up much room. Most of the space was occupied by cluttered tables and a continuous shuffle of human bodies. Usually, this mass of people would be hard-pressed against the portal, each pair of hands working to perfect each minute detail. Today however, was a special occasion. Today, they were going to test the boundaries of their universe and stretch out to make contact with the other side.

Maddie wove a path through the various assistants and stood next to Jack. She managed to wrap one arm quarter-way around the bulk of her husband. She leaned into him as he continued to stare at the still inactive portal.

"Is Jazz upstairs?" He tried to whisper. It was hard to be quiet in a room vibrating with sound. Add to that the difficulty of having a booming voice as Jack did.

"Yes," Maddie replied. "It was getting late so I tucked her into bed. Hopefully all the racket from down here won't wake her up."

Jack laughed heartily. "She's always been a heavy sleeper. If my snoring can't keep her up, I don't think anything can!" He then gave Maddie a small squeeze.

A lab assistant approached the happy couple. He handed the clipboard to Maddie, who found difficulty in unwrapping herself from Jack's embrace.

"We've run these last few formulas. Everything seems to be in order."

"Thank you Reiner," Maddie nodded. Jack took the clipboard and skimmed through the numbers.

"Guess that means we can finally start this baby up!"

Immediately, Jack walked towards one of the groups of idle workers, barking out orders. Maddie gathered her team to check on the readings on the computers. She called out to Jack that they were ready, and he moved to stand behind her. Quick fingers flew over the keyboard, summoning a plexiglass wall to separate the scientists from their creation.

"Power levels stable," said the small blonde woman at a computer. "Shall I continue?"

Maddie sighed in the face of this monumental moment. No longer would she or her husband be regarded as jokes. This would prove them all wrong.

"Punch it."

Machines whired, creating a hum that could barely be perceived by human ears. Large wires that criss-crossed the walls buzzed with electricity. A small light appeared in the center of the portal. Then it stretched across into a horizontal line. A loud _pop!_ was heard throughout the lab, and the beam of light split, opening a great chasm of swirling green.

Maddie stared at it, tears pooling inside her goggles. She lifted it off her face to let her tears fall down her cheeks. Jack noticed and held her in a gentle squeeze.

"Dr. Fenton?" asked one of the assistants at a computer.

"Yes?" both Jack and Maddie answered.

"I am detecting no signs of radiation or other contaminates. And the portal is stable."

Maddie turned to Jack. "Would you like to do the honor?"

"Would I!?" Jack tried unsuccessfully to hide his excitement. He began to hop from one foot to the other. Maddie walked to the nearest table and pulled a large cloth off the top of something. Then she lifted a large gun and carried it to Jack. He easily held the cannon-like structure in one hand while rubbing the Fenton logo plastered onto the metal surface with his free hand. Then he kissed the gun and gave out roar of laughter.

One word from Maddie and the middle section of the glass wall sunk down into the ground. Jack hoisted the aptly named Fenton Bazooka and fired a small, spherical device into the portal. Immediately, he dropped the bazooka on the floor and ran to join Maddie at the monitor.

On the screen, they could see all that the probe Jack just shot could see. The world beyond the portal was groundless, just a vast expanse of swirling purple and green.

"Well," said Maddie, hands placed on her hips. "I was hoping for at least a _little_ life."

"What was that!?" shouted Reiner while pointing at the corner of the screen. They all gasped when they recognized the blocky floating structure to be a door. Another door floated up into the screen, and then another. Soon hundreds filled the monitor, all in varying shades of pink, purple, and violet.

Maddie stood gaping. What could this possibly mean? Many theories and guesses tumbled in her head, leading her from one conclusion to the next. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she almost didn't see a dark, shapeless form hurtle towards the screen.

"What the hell?" The monitor shook as the probe was hit by the object. Next it fell into static.

"Mrs. Fenton," said the blonde assistant, still at her desk. "I'm getting a reading on radiation, and it's growing."

Alarms started blaring and a red light flashed overhead. The ringing drowned out Maddie's reply, but the assistant already knew what to do. She punched in the code on her keyboard, raising the glass wall once more.

Maddie turned to the portal. The smooth green ripples had now become a torrent of purple and red. A vacuum of air howled around the portal, adding to the chaos that surrounded the lab. Maddie was completely hypnotized by the spectacle. She thought she heard Jack shout her name and barely registered his arms wrapping around her shoulders and pulling her down.

The glass shattered at that instant. Stacks of papers and lightweight equipment flew into the air and straight into the portal. The Fentons, as well as their assistants, took shelter under the tables, which were bolted to the floor. Maddie could see Jack's mouth moving, but could not hear his voice.

As suddenly as it had started, the wind reversed. Papers flew back out of the portal and circulated around the room. Purple smoke swirled faintly in the hurricane.

A strange form fell from the portal and collapsed on the floor. The wind stopped howling and the portal sputtered before closing completely.

Slowly, Maddie unwrapped herself from Jack and tentatively crept from under the table. If the lab had been a mess before, it definitely was a disaster now. Although it _had_ just been struck by a mini hurricane.

The others came out from their hiding places, checking each other for any injuries. Jack struggled to get up, wriggling his way out from under the table. He came to Maddie's side, about to ask if she was alright, then stopped when his gaze hit the creature on the floor.

It was humanoid in shape, with a wild mop of pure white hair. It wore black rags, which Jack assumed was once clothing, possibly torn by the portal. It lay huddled in a ball, moaning softly.

The Fentons stood there, studying this new discovery. Then they heard the shrill scream of a terrified seven-year-old girl, who was standing in the doorway of the lab.

* * *

"It's such a shame that the cameras lost power during your experiment, Mrs. Fenton."

Maddie nodded stoically to the two men seated on the couch across from her. One of them looked down and plucked a small dust bunny from the pant leg of his immaculate white suit. Little Jasmine sat in Maddie's lap. She clutched Bearbert tight to her chest.

"Would you care to explain what happened?"

Maddie couldn't see the men's' eyes under their glasses, but she imagined they were dull, like twin lumps of coal.

"We had to reroute all the power to the lab. To keep our computers from short circuiting."

"Why didn't you contact us when the portal was ready?" said the other agent. "You know you tried the experiment nearly two weeks ahead of schedule."

She laughed trying to hide her discomfort. "Surely you can understand a scientist's desire for discovery! We were merely too excited and jumped forward a bit too soon."

The first agent cocked his head in thought. Maddie silently prayed that he believed her. Then he stood up, shook her hand, and reminded her that they would be back soon to pick up her report. Maddie lifted Jasmine off her lap and walked the two men to the door.

Just then, a squeal of delight was heard upstairs and a small boy came bounding down the steps. Jack was not far behind, trying to run on hands and knees, shouting playfully "I'm gonna getcha! I'm gonna catch ya!"

The little boy looked behind him to see how close Jack was to him, then smacked headfirst into one of the agent's legs. He fell back and began rubbing his face.

"Daniel!" cried Maddie as she scooped him into her arms. The agent cocked an eyebrow and studied the boy. He had jet black hair like Jack and blue eyes like Maddie.

"What's this?"

Jack stood up, lifted Jasmine,and joined Maddie. "That's Daniel." The boy giggled at the mention of his name.

"Uh, we've recently adopted him." said Maddie while shifting Daniel's weight in her embrace. "He's only five."

Daniel reached towards the agent's face, presumably for his glasses. "Where's your eyes?" he asked innocently.

The agent ignored him and looked to Maddie. "Very well then. Expect us around three tomorrow afternoon to pick up your report."

Maddie nodded and closed the door behind them with her foot. She let out the sigh that had been caught in her throat. Then she smiled and tickled Daniel's chin. He squirmed and giggled until she put him down. He tottered over to Jack and shouted to Jasmine, still in her father's arms. "Hey, let's go play a game!"

Jasmine smiled back and ran upstairs with him once Jack set her loose. Jack turned to Maddie and held her close.

"Don't worry," He spoke into her auburn hair. "You did the right thing."

* * *

 **Hello fellow Fanfic fanatics and fans of the Phantom! (that's a lot of fff's). I'm leaving this important note here to let y'all know that I am looking for a beta reader! Someone who will get to read my chapters before they get posted online and give me feedback on the story and/or grammar. It would also be helpful if this person has watched Danny Phantom, so as to point out any flaws I may make that aren't cannon or don't match up in places. Lastly, I would like this person to push me to continue writing this fanfic so that I don't go into a several year long hiatus like I did with Search for Zelda (which I hope to continue eventually btw). If your interested, please PM me and let me know if your computer or tablet or whatever can support Google docs, since that's where I type my things.**

 **Sorry for the long note! Please favorite and leave a review! :D**


	2. Smoke and Mirrors

**Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who favorited, followed and reviewed! Special thanks to Phantom J. Rider and The Mirror Above the Sink who beta-read this chapter for me!**

 **Don't own Danny Phantom. Chapter named after Smoke and Mirrors by Imagine Dragons**

 **A little warning: there's going to be bullying in this chapter**

 _Meh! Meh! Meh!_

Danny reached towards the alarm clock on his bedside table. He fell short and grabbed the clock's power cord instead. Instinctively, he pulled, bringing the clock and anything in its path crashing to the floor. The clock continued blaring, sending a headache reverberating throughout Danny's skull. He moaned in annoyance and yanked his covers off.

Once he managed to sit up, Danny pulled the plug, halting his alarm's irritating symphony. Sure, he would have to go through the trouble of resetting it when he got home, but he didn't care.

He stretched, yawned a bit, and then gathered up his clothes for the day and headed to the bathroom. It might've been annoying waking up thirty minutes before he needed to, but at least he could take a quick shower before Jazz hogged the bathroom.

Not even two minutes into his shower, Danny heard a knock on the door.

"Hurry up!" his older sister called out. "I need to get to school early today."

"You're always early to school!" Danny shouted back.

"Just be quick!" she retorted.

Danny shook his head. "I take the fastest showers in this house," he muttered to himself.

He took his time, trying to use up as much hot water as he could just for spite. Then he got out, dried off, and got dressed.

Danny stepped up to the sink to brush his teeth. While brushing, he kept his head down, avoiding eye contact with his reflection in the mirror.

Danny never liked mirrors. Even when he was little, he'd tried to evade them. He was even made fun of in school for his unnatural fear. But it hadn't been all that bad. After all, he did meet his two best friends when they defended him from one such bullying session.

A knock rattled the door, causing Danny to jump.

"Hurry up Danny!" sang his mother. "Your sister uses the bathroom too, you know."

Danny spit out the toothpaste in his mouth. "I know Mom. I'll be out in a minute."

All refreshed and clean for the day, Danny finally left the bathroom. Jazz rushed past him and slammed the door as soon as her brother was clear. Danny hurried down the stairs and entered the kitchen. He riffled through the nearest cabinet and took out a box of cereal. He grabbed a bowl on his way to the table. Then he walked to the fridge, opened the door, and groaned loudly in mild anger.

"What's up, son?" asked Jack as he rounded the corner to the kitchen entrance. He repeatedly dipped a spoon into his own bowl of cereal.

Danny arched his eyebrows and gave his father a side-long glance. "There's no more milk."

"No!" The large man threw one hand in the air while the other cradled his breakfast. "Oh, the humanity!"

As always, Danny wasn't sure if he should've taken Jack's reaction seriously or not. He merely scowled and shut the fridge door.

"Hey Danny-boy," said Jack. "Don't be so glum."

Danny gave his dad a half smile, even if it only made Jack feel better. "I'm all right. So far, this morning isn't all it's cracked up to be."

"Well look on the bright side," countered Jack as he stepped up beside Danny and placed a large hand on his shoulder. "Things can only get better from here."

Danny nodded. "All right."

 _Of course it'll get better,_ Danny thought to himself sarcastically as he got muscled into his locker once again. He could hear the jeering laughter of Dash and his fellow jocks through the grating. A few seconds later, their guffawing began to fade as they made their way to class.

"Hello?" Danny cried out as soon as he knew they were gone.

"I'm on it." was the reply. The mechanism within the locker door clicked delicately while the person on the other side turned the dial. The door opened and Danny spilled to the floor, unable to catch himself before falling.

Sam and Tucker, Danny's closest friends since forever, helped him back to his feet.

"That's the third time this week!" yelled Sam. Her hands were clenched into fists. The Goth style make-up seemed to accentuate the rage apparent on her face. "Why does he keep going after _you_?"

Danny shrugged nonchalantly and red flushed into Sam's cheeks. She punched Danny's locker, focusing all her anger into the one, solid hit.

Tucker shifted his gaze away from the small device in his hands to address his companions.

"Hey, uh, guys? We should probably head to class now," He inched a little ways away from Sam. Even though both boys had been witness to some of Sam's more violent tendencies, neither had still become fully used to it.

"Yeah," Sam replied. "Let's get going. Lancer might've already marked us late or absent."

Mr. Lancer's literature class went by, of course, with several more incidents. Incidents such as Dash tripping Danny when he got up to receive his graded test, realizing he got another D-, and then being called out in front of everybody by Lancer. Danny was relieved when the bell finally rang, signaling an end to the torture.

Eager to leave the suffocating atmosphere, Danny rushed out the door. His friends were stuck in the back, so he waited for them in the hallway. He took a couple of deep breaths, trying to prepare himself for the rest of the day. _I wonder if I can convince Ms. Tetslaff I'm sick?_ He thought to himself. _I really don't want to go to gym class._

A large hand grabbed hold of Danny's shirt, interrupting his musings. Dash pulled him forward and sneered in his face. "You're coming with me."

Before he could protest, Danny was surrounded by Dash's posse and dragged to the closest bathroom. One of Dash's buddies closed the door behind them and stood by it.

"Alright," sighed Danny, "what is it this time?" Dash brought his face uncomfortably close to Danny's, his lips turned up in a cruel smile. "I've just about had it." he said. "First math, now English. I swear if I didn't have my little punching bag," he slugged Danny in the shoulder, "I'd be going mad by now."

Danny wrinkled his nose, which the blonde brute saw as a look of defiance. He threw Danny at the back wall and began whaling on him. Dash's punches became more brutal as his friends cheered him on. Danny tried to wrap his arms around himself for protection, but only managed to block the kicks toward his head.

Finally, Dash stepped back, gazing down at the smaller boy cringing on the floor.

"Come on, Danny," he mocked. "Cry for us. Cry like a little baby."

"I'm not… _that_...scared of you," Danny wheezed out through clenched teeth. The football star blinked in surprise. "Well then, we're going to have to fix that." He grabbed Danny and hoisted him up. "I know! Don't you have, uh, spek-, specs-, uh,-"

"Spectrophobia?" answered Kwan.

"Yeah that!" Dash said triumphantly. It took Danny a moment to realize that Dash was taking him to the bathroom mirrors.

He covered his face and began shouting, "No! Stop!"

Dash struggled to grab Danny's arms but couldn't quite pin them down.

"Hey guys, help me out!" Two of Dash's friends took hold of Danny's arms. Kwan, a worried expression dominating his face, addressed Dash with caution. "Hey man, don't you think this is a little much?"

"Don't worry about it," replied Dash. "Little Fentina here isn't going to snitch on us, is he?"

Danny didn't reply. He was too busy trembling and gazing at his reflection.

Danny's fear of mirrors stemmed from his childhood. One of his classmates had told him that looking into a mirror would separate his soul from his body. Danny didn't believe them and immediately sought out the first available reflective surface. What he saw made him scream. From that day onward, Danny had refused to reveal just what it was that had put him in such a panic.

And now, being confronted by his worst fears, Danny couldn't help but remember what he had seen then.

In the mirror, a boy of Danny's age stared back. His hair was white like bleached bones. A pair of black horns protruded from his forehead, separating his bangs in odd clumps. His eyes were black with acid green irises and his ears were pointed. An expression of horror, very much matching Danny's, stole over the creature's face. Danny glanced at Dash's reflection- the creature in the mirror copied him- and noticed that Dash didn't seem to see anything unusual.

He continued to tremble fearfully, even as Sam broke down the door and charged in.

"Hey!" exclaimed Kwan. "No girls in the boys bathroom!"

"Oh just can it, you ass!" she replied. She stormed up to Dash, glowering the whole way. Tucker stayed by the doorway, a furious Mr. Lancer by his side.

"Let. Him. Go!" Sam fumed, each syllable laced with enough malice to make a drill sergeant shake in his boots.

Dash tilted his head in mock consideration. "Well, I guess you can have your boyfriend back," he tossed a dazed Danny in her direction. "I was done with him anyways."

"Mr. Baxter!" Dash's smirk was slapped right off his face with the call of his last name. He turned, braving the onslaught of Lancer's beet red complexion and eloquent use of the English language. But instead of going on his usual tirade, Mr. Lancer simply stated "Principal's office. Now!"

Mr. Lancer led Dash and his buddies away while Sam and Tucker supported Danny.

"Are you okay?" asked Tucker. "You're still shaking real bad."

"Y-yeah," Danny struggled to say. "I just want to go home."

"Don't worry," Sam piped up. "Lance asked us to escort you back to your house. We can hang 'til you feel better."

Sam's comment bolstered Danny's strength. With his two best buds in all the world, he knew he'd feel like a million bucks in no time. After all, there was absolutely no way his day could get any worse.

 **Author's note: Alright so that's chapter 2! Just thought I should mention I plan to make to make chapter updates every two weeks. It's two instead of one week because I hand write everything in a journal first and then type up later. I'm also really slow at typing and I get distracted easily so it takes me forever to fully finish a chapter. I hope you're all enjoying the story so far and thanks for reading!**

 **Spectrophobia is just one of many names that refer to the fear of mirrors. I chose this name because 'spectro' refers to ghosts and I thought it would be most fitting.**


	3. Ch 3 Death Waltz

**Holy cow! That's a lot of favs and follows. Seriously I've gained more fav and follows on this story in two chapters than when I posted ch. 4 of my Zelda story!** **Thank you everyone for reading and the reviews!**

 **And of course special thanks to my betas Phantom J Rider and Mirror Above the Sink.**

 **Chapter named after the parody orchestra song written by John Stump**

 **It would be cool if I owned Danny Phantom, but I don't.**

* * *

During the long walk home to the Fenton's house, Danny's pale complexion fixed itself and he was soon enjoying conversation with his friends. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment when they came to the threshold of his front yard.

Many a time the neighbors had complained about the eyesore on their roof - namely the Ops Center. They also had plenty to say about the many other gadgets and machinery scattered around the exterior of the huge building. But what they complained about the most was the abundance of loud noises that emanated from the basement daily. It was a wonder the Fentons hadn't been evicted yet.

The trio headed inside to find that all of the other Fentons had left the vicinity.

"Where're your parents?" asked Sam.

"Probably out getting more stuff for their science experiments," Danny waved it off and headed for the kitchen.

"Oh!" exclaimed Tucker. "What are they working on now?"

Danny shrugged towards his tech-savvy friend. "Some laser thing," he replied while rifling through the contents of the fridge. "I think they're using that green goop they discovered recently. They won't tell me much about it."

"Can you show us?" Tucker's eyes gleamed with excitement.

Sam gave him a half-smile. "Yeah, I kinda want to see this 'laser' too."

Finding nothing of profound interest, Danny shut the fridge door and regarded his friends. "I don't think so. Everything Mom and Dad makes has the potential to blow up. Especially the cooking."

"Aw, come on man!" whined Tucker.

"We won't touch anything," Sam promised. "Besides, I'm sure you want to check it out too."

Danny tried to shrug nonchalantly. Though he did want to see what his parents had been up to lately, he didn't want to seem like a pushover.

"I'll update your latest version of Doomed!" Tucker gripped Danny's shoulders, shouting frantically. "I'll even set you up with the new exclusive gear!"

"Hmm," Danny's smile was smug. Perhaps he could get more out of Tucker. But those thoughts were put to an end when he noticed Sam's knowing glare.

"Fine! That's fine. Let's go check out the lab."

Tucker squealed in delight and ran down the stairs. "Wait Tuck!" Danny chased after him, Sam on his heels. "Don't touch _anything_!"

The lab itself, given it was in the basement, was very large. A few tables lined the walls, leaving the majority of the room an open space. Various tools and gadgets seemingly from the future were littered across every available surface. And _everything_ had a fancy label entitled Fenton.

Danny noticed that Tucker had completely ignored his warning and barely managed to stop him from picking up one of his Dad's 'toys'. In his distraction, Danny allowed Sam to slip past him.

"Hey," she said in front of a tall shape covered by a tarp. "What's this?"

Before any reply could be given, Sam yanked off the tarp to reveal a hollow, hexagon-shaped structure set into the wall. Inside was a dark tunnel, the walls of which were covered in multicolored wires and switches.

Danny and Tucker joined Sam and stared inside. "Oh this!" Danny exclaimed. "This is one of my parent's first experiments. It's supposed to be a portal to somewhere or other."

"Did it work?" asked Tucker.

"Nah, it ended up being a total flop. Had government funding and everything. Nobody knows what went wrong."

A sly grin took over Sam's face. "Can we look inside?"

"No! Absolutely not!" Danny was quick to reply. "If you go in there and mess with anything, my parents will kill me."

"Well then, why don't you check it out?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, you grew up around all these crazy gizmos. You probably know what not to mess with inside." Sam shrugged.

"But I-"

"Com'on dude," Tucker joined in. "Do it for science."

"You sound just like my Dad when he fixes dinner," Danny said with a wry smile.

"Please?" asked Sam. Her eyes were alight with an insatiable curiosity while the rest of her features remained tranquil. Tucker just fell to his knees, hands clasped together in a pleading fashion.

Danny's hand reached back to rub his neck, an involuntary habit he'd developed when nervous or deep in thought. Finally he sighed in defeat. "You guys are really pushing it."

Tucker whooped and hollered and Sam smiled in smug satisfaction. Their friend ignored their mini celebration and grabbed a white hazmat suit with black gloves and boots from a nearby rack.

"Why are you grabbing that?" Tucker asked, a little nervous. "It's not leaking radiation, is it?"

Danny smiled back before entering the dead portal. "Better safe than sorry." He stepped inside, the boots of his suit echoing in the short corridor. He peered down into the darkness, careful not to trip on any wires laid across the ground.

"See anything interesting?" Danny turned back to see Sam peeking inside.

"Not much," he answered. "It definitely seems to go a lot deeper though." He turned back to travel a bit further, when his foot caught on a cord. In reaction, his hand grasped the wall so he could steady himself. He heard a click and the air was filled with an electrical buzz.

"What was that?" called Sam.

"Oh shit," Danny breathed out before sprinting back to the opening. The walls began to light up and the buzzing increased. He wasn't worried about getting out in time until his foot was wrapped up in yet another line of wire. Danny crashed hard on the titanium floor. He let out a string of curses as he tried desperately to yank his boot free.

His friends yelled back at him to get up. Sam was about to enter to try to help Danny when he called out "Get back! Don't come inside!" She ignored his warning and was barely stopped by Tucker.

With one last tug, Danny finally pulled free. He could feel the small hairs on the back of his neck stand up as he dashed at full speed. A triumphant smile graced his lips as he crossed the threshold- that was, until he was struck by a jolt of electricity.

He screamed in agony while the currents traveled through him, causing his body to jerk and convulse. The pain was unbearable. Just when he thought he couldn't take anymore, darkness overtook him and he went limp.

* * *

 _Numb, feeling of floating, drifting aimlessly. Muffled voices, some familiar, some unknown. Darkness, howling, running, chasing, chasing, chasing what? No, being chased. Fire, burning, red hot, too bright. A figure, a woman? She speaks, she's angry, dressed in red flames. Hounds made of dripping black tar at her side. They growl, paw the ground, circle. Hunger burns like dying embers in their eyes. Must run, escape! A surge of energy, swirling green, and odd feeling. Suddenly falling, once again numb, floating. Confusion, lost, green, pain, fire, wind, power, home._

 _I am home._

* * *

With a strangled gasp, Danny bolted up from the floor. Across the room, he saw Sam trying to awaken a fainted Tucker.

"Tucker, get up!" she pleaded. "Danny needs us!"

"Whuh-" Danny swallowed. His throat felt dry and raw, like he had just finished gargling broken glass. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "What just happened?"

Sam looked up. "Danny! Oh my God." she rushed to his side but was hesitant to touch him. "Are you okay? How do you feel?"

"Really sore all over. I didn't get hit by the GAV, did I?" he chuckled dryly, then fell into a coughing fit.

"Hold on." Sam got up and headed for the stairs. After a few minutes, she came back with two glasses of water. The first she gave to Danny, who took it graciously and nearly downed the whole thing in one gulp. The other glass was poured directly over Tucker's face.

The techno whiz sat up, sputtering and gasping. Looking about, his gaze settled on Danny.

"Whoa dude, you're really in for a shock."

Sam proceeded to give Tucker a sharp kick in the side. "Yee-ouch!" he yelled. "I was just saying!"

"The portal," Sam sighed, pointing behind Danny. "It turned on and zapped you pretty good."

Danny twisted around until he could see the portal. The inside was filled with a glowing, swirling green mass. Little puffs of what could almost be called clouds swam lazily about, adding to the mesmerizing kaleidoscope. He felt pulled towards it, though made no indication of getting up anytime soon. There was something oddly familiar about the portal's green hues and slight humming.

Danny didn't break his trance until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Sam and Tucker casting worried faces down on him.

"There's something else you should know about."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Sam glanced nervously to Tucker, who simply nodded back.

"Danny," she started. "Something happened when the portal turned on. You changed."

The raven-haired boy cocked his head in curiosity. "What do you mean?"

"Um, well, when you came out," continued Tucker.

"Uh-huh?"

"You fell down."

"Yeah."

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand you didn't look like you."

"Wait, what?"

Sam let out a huff of annoyance and shoved Tucker to the side. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and started pressing buttons.

"We tried to move you, but you were too hot to touch after you came out. Eventually, you changed back to normal, but I was able to get a couple of good pics before that happened."

Once she found what she was looking for, Sam made to pass her phone to Danny. He reached forward with a trembling hand.

"Wait," she said, pulling her phone back. "Please, just... try not to freak out."

Danny nodded, which was the most confirmation Sam was going to get from him. He held out his hand again. She finally allowed him to take her phone.

When he first saw the image on the screen, he thought he might've been hallucinating. He scrolled through the many pictures and found it harder to deny what he saw. Back and forth, he witnessed his tumble through the portal and him lying on the floor with muscles spasming from the leftover electricity passing through his limbs. He saw himself finally still, smoke rising from his body.

No, not his body, but that of the thing in the mirror.

Danny managed to say one last thing before he blacked out.

"My parents are going to kill me."

* * *

 **Alright so if you havn't figured by now, y'all should know this is a story where Danny is a demon. I honestly thought a demon Danny would be a somewhat popular concept, but I have as of yet to find another fanfic using it and very sparse fan art. (Is it like, an agreed upon taboo in the fandom to not have a demon Danny?) Anyways, I'm not going to get too into the whole religious aspect so think of it as demons are creatures that live in a separate dimension? It should make sense later on.**

 **Thanks again for reading, favoriting, and following! All reviews fuel my life force and are greatly appreciated!**


	4. 4 Ghost's 'N' Stuff

**Author's note: Sorry to my readers for how dang loooooooong it took to post this chapter. Lots of crazy stuff was happening. My work schedule got changed up, my sister gave birth (I'm now an auntie! :D), my Mom just had surgery and is now taking a 6 week recovery time, (my Grandma and I are taking care of her) and this chapter didn't want to be written. The only thing going for me now is that I don't start the next school term till next week and I have only morning classes.**

 **I intend to get back to the 'chapter every two weeks' schedule, but I'll let y'all know if that changes.**

 **Thanks to my betas Phantom J Ryder and Mirror Above The Sink. I had more problems this chapter than with others and you guys really helped me push through it.**

 **This chapter's song is Ghost's 'N' Stuff by Deadmau5. Still don't Danny Phantom.**

"Sweetie? It's time to get up. You're going to be late for school."

Maddie gently cooed into her son's ear and shook his shoulder. He squirmed under his covers, then looked up at her through half-lidded eyes. "Jus fife more minutes," he mumbled.

"Alright sweetie," replied Maddie. "Meet me downstairs when you're ready. There's breakfast waiting for you."

Danny quietly grumbled in his state of half-sleep as Maddie slowly closed the door. The door handle clicked and his room was filled with a comfortable silence.

He sat straight up in one rapid motion. _The portal. The pictures Sam took. Blacking out._ It all came back to him in a rush, accompanied by a plethora of questions.

What happened after he passed out? What did Sam and Tucker tell his parents? How much did they know? How long had he been out? Long enough to be late for school the next morning.

School. Dammit! Why did he still have to go after all that had just happened? He quickly pulled off the covers and noticed he was still in yesterday's clothes. The hazmat suit he had on in the lab was nowhere to be seen. He changed into a fresh set of clothes and grabbed his phone.

 _First things first,_ He thought. _I need to call Sam._

He dialed her number and waited with held breath as it rang. After a while, it went to voicemail. Danny started typing in Tucker's number when his phone beeped, signaling he had received a text. It read: In class. We'll take later. Get here now.

Danny facepalmed. Of course she couldn't answer his call. First class had to have started by now. How late was he anyways? He looked for his alarm clock and found it still on the floor. It's screen was dead. Danny groaned in annoyance while setting the alarm back on his bedside table and plugging the cord back into an outlet. Neon green lines flashed back at him, waiting for him to input the time.

Danny checked his phone and entered the correct time into his alarm. He rubbed the last bits of sleep from his eyes and headed out of his room. Letting out a great yawn, Danny stepped through his door.

About halfway down the hall, he paused. Danny's head whipped back towards his bedroom door which was still closed. He couldn't remember opening it at all a few seconds ago. He narrowed his eyes as if the door had somehow offended him. Walking backwards, still glaring at the wooden gateway to his room, he continued to the bathroom.

As he freshened up, avoiding the mirror above the sink (like usual), he reflected that there was no time to take a shower that morning. He would have to wait till later in the afternoon.

Making his way back to his room, Danny regarded his bedroom door with intense scrutiny. He made a big show of slowly grabbing the brass handle and turning it. He slipped past the threshold. As an afterthought, he swung the door wide open and left it so as he grabbed his backpack and ran downstairs.

In the kitchen, Maddie had set one plate on the table. It held a stack of pancakes, a side of scrambled eggs, and two slices of bacon. Maddie herself was at the sink rinsing off dishes and placing them into the dishwasher. She had a pair of thick, yellow gloves over the black gloves of her teal jumpsuit.

"Breakfast is on the table," she said to Danny without looking up.

"Thanks Mom," he replied and sat down. Immediately, Danny began shoveling food into his mouth. He munched happily for a while before he registered his mother's voice.

"Sorry," Danny swallowed the pancake mush still in his mouth. "What was that again?"

"Oh I just asked how you were feeling." She turned back to him with a sweet smile. Maddie always had such a heartwarming smile. Even a small upturn of the corner of her mouth was enough to brighten the room and lift everyone's spirits. (no pun intended here :p )

"I'm feeling fine," answered Danny. "Why wouldn't I be?" He smiled, hoping it was as convincing as his mother's. Maddie must've believed it was a real smile because she directed her attention back to the kitchen sink. "I heard you came home early from school yesterday. Something about an accident in the bathroom? The school called and told me what happened. That your friends walked you home and-,"

Danny tuned out about that moment when the fork fell from his grip. A small pile of eggs landed in his lap while the fork bounced off the table and clattered to the floor. The startled teen gave out a sharp gasp.

His hand.

It was missing.

"What was that dear?" Maddie asked.

Danny held his breath and hid the end of his arm under the table. "Nothing! It's nothing. I, uh, dropped my fork." He carefully bent down and grabbed the fork with his other hand while doing his best to keep the missing appendage out of Maddie's sight.

"Well, as I was saying," Maddie continued to ramble on about what she knew of the bathroom incident. Danny carefully brought his arm up and stared at the stump where his hand should've been. He could see a faint outline of his hand and a dull, white glow at the end of his arm where his wrist began. Flexing, he found he could still feel his fingers.

"Danny, are you even listening?"

He stuffed the invisible hand back under the table. "Uh, sure Mom."

"Then will you care to explain what you were doing in the basement?"

Danny gulped. His skin paled as Maddie's gaze bore into him. _What should he tell her?_ He decided it would be best to start at the beginning.

"When we got home, I mentioned that you and Dad had been working on something in the basem- I mean the lab. Everyone wanted to check it out so we came downstairs. Sam found the portal and I told her it didn't work."

Danny paused. He was unsure of what to say next. No doubt Sam and Tucker had already gone over this part. However he resolved to make his story sound like Sam and Tucker were not involved in activating the portal at all.

He looked up and noticed his mother's intense stare. Her slightly raised eyebrow said 'continue' in a more menacing way than mere words ever could.

"Anyways, they were curious so I offered to take a closer look. I put on a suit and explored the inside."

"Hold on. You went inside?"

"Um, yes?" Danny barely stopped his invisible hand from lifting up to rub the back of his neck. _Stupid habit._

"Was that before or after Sam plugged it in?"

That caught Danny off guard. Sam had plugged it in? Apparently that was the story his friends had used. Danny silently thanked whatever higher power had allowed Maddie to drop that nugget of information.

"Before! I went in before it turned on. Sam waited till I got out to plug its cord into the socket."

"Did you mess with anything while you were inside?" Maddie's stern glare had now been replaced by curiosity. Her hand gripped her chin, showing she was deep in thought.

"No, not really." Danny shrugged. Then his face lit up. "Actually, I tripped over some wires. Pressed some buttons when I fell. Maybe that's why it worked this time?" Seemed this little fib was coming together nicely.

Maddie stayed silent. The air felt heavy and full of her brooding thoughts. Danny suddenly felt that it was hard to breath. He needed to get out of there.

"And that's about everything. I should really start heading to school." Danny made to get up to leave, tucking his problematic arm behind his back.

"Wait a moment," said Maddie. "I can give you a ride." She walked away to grab her purse.

Danny let out a heavy sigh. How was he supposed to hide his hand the whole drive to school? His head fell into his hands.

Hands.

Two of them.

"Well that's one problem solved."

 **This chapter was a lot of filler, but don't worry. Things start to heat up in the next chapter. :P**

 **Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far!**

 **Guest: I looooove reading DPxSupernatural crossover stories. So many possibilities! But usually, when demons are involved it's never Danny as a demon, but rather accidently summoned by a devil's trap or they fight demons. They're still great stories though.**


	5. Ch 5 Mr Cellophane

**It seems that I had forgotten how much free time school sucks away from you. I thought I could continue posting a chapter every two weeks, but it looks like it will take me longer now. Sorry about that. As far as I can promise, I want to have at least one new chapter a month. Thank you all for sticking with this story!**

 **Thanks always to betas Phantom J Ryder and Mirror Above the Sink.**

 ** **And special thanks to Phantom for making the cover art! :D****

 **The song for this chapter is from the broadway play Chicago.**

 **It'd be weird if I owned Danny Phantom. Like seriously.**

* * *

The normally short drive to school seemed to stretch infinitely longer in the reticence that encompassed both driver and passenger. And, as if the world had it out for Danny, every stoplight they came across would flash red as they approached.

At the third red light, Maddie finally broke the uncomfortable silence between them.

"So, did anything else happen?" She spared a quick glance at her son to gauge his reaction. Danny fidgeted a bit until he found his tongue.

"Like what?" he retorted. Such a simple, innocent question that held a limitless amount of answers.

"You kids were playing around with a dysfunctional portal. Anything could happen really." She shrugged, her shoulders bouncing high into the air.

"Um, I don't really remember much. I sorta... blacked out."

"What do you remember?" Maddie asked, an iron edge creeping into her voice. "Did you notice anything abnormal? Did something come out of the portal? How did it make you feel? Did you feel weird, or have a headache, or-"

"Mom! Green light!"

Danny grasped the sides of his seat as Maddie floored it. She eased out on the pedal to match the speed limits. A puff of air escaped her lips and she relaxed her tight grip on the steering wheel.

They drove in silence yet again.

* * *

The RV (or Ghost Assault Vehicle, as his parents dubbed it) pulled up in front of the school. Danny reached to open his door.

"I'm sorry." Maddie's calm words stayed Danny's hand.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you. I just..." Her pain was evident in her tone and written on her face. "Your father and I are worried for you. We are so afraid of losing our baby."

Danny could feel her hurt in his chest. He didn't mean to scare her or Dad. Nothing was supposed to happen in that lab. It just _did_.

"It's okay, Mom." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know you and Dad just want the best for me. I won't do anything stupid like that again."

Maddie silently nodded her head, signaling that he was allowed to leave. He grabbed his backpack and exited the vehicle.

"Danny!" his mother shouted out of the rolled-down window. "Have a good day at school."

Danny replied back with one of his famous lopsided smiles, waved, and entered the building.

* * *

The bell for first class rang and students began to flood the hallways. Danny made his way to his first class. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to catch Sam and Tucker before they had left. Resigned to defeat, he retrieved what class assignments he had missed and ran towards the next class. He kept an eye out for Dash the entire way, knowing the jock would want revenge.

Danny made it into his lab class seconds before the late bell. Luckily he had this class with Tucker. Walking to his normal seat beside his friend, Danny noticed an empty place where Dash usually sat.

"Hey Danny!" Tucker's face lit up. Unknown to Danny, Tucker had previously been muttering worriedly about his friend all morning. "How you feeling?"

"All things considered, pretty okay." he replied.

"Just okay? Guess you haven't heard the good news." Techno-whiz Tuck wiggled his eyebrows and allowed a cheeky grin to spread over his features.

"Did you finally get a date to homecoming?" Danny retorted.

Tucker pointed a finger towards Danny. "Now that's just rude. Besides, there's still plenty of fish in the pond."

Danny only raised an eyebrow.

"You know, the girls are fish the school is the pond-,"

"I get it. What's the good news?"

Tucker paused, trying to remember what he originally intended to say. "Oh yeah! After that stunt Dash pulled in the bathroom, he's been suspended for the rest of the week!"

Danny was incredulous. "I thought his football scores kept him out of most punishments."

"Yeah, well, this time he managed to even piss off Ms. Tetslaff."

Danny leaned back in his chair. "Really?"

"Yeah, she almost let the suspension extend to two weeks!"

 _Wow,_ Danny thought to himself. _Everyone would've been better off with two weeks Dash free, but still. Wow._

Tucker grinned excitedly. "The popular kids may hate your guts right now, but all the nerds and geeks are practically singing praises." He patted Danny's back while he was still stunned into silence.

They both gasped as Danny seemed to briefly disappear and Tucker's hand passed right through him. Tucker yanked his hand back to his chest and Danny reappeared. Danny then began to frantically touch his face and torso, assuring himself he was still there.

"Dude," whispered Tucker. "What the Hell was that?" He reached forward and started to poke Danny's shoulder.

"I don't know," Danny swatted Tucker's hand away. "Weird stuff like that has been happening to me all day."

"Really?" Tucker frowned. "Like what?"

"This morning," Danny started, "I think I walked through my door. Like, actually through it." Tucker nodded his head, his eyes wide. Danny continued. "Then later, I was eating breakfast and my hand disappeared! Well, more like turned invisible. It's hard to explain because my hand was still there, but my fork passed through it like it wasn't."

"So your hand did what all of you just did?"

"Um, yeah?" Danny shrugged.

"I wonder what Sam will say after she hears about this. Lunch is next so we should see her soon."

"I hope I can last that long," groaned Danny. He laid his head down on the desk. "It'd really get awkward if my head disappeared or something like that."

"No sleeping in class, Mr. Fenton!" shouted the teacher, her harpy-like voice resounding with the equivalent screech of nails on chalkboard. Danny's head whipped upwards at the call of his family name. He decided against arguing with her and she promptly glared daggers in his direction before starting the day's lessons.

Danny wondered how she noticed his head on the table but missed his little disappearing act. Baby blue eyes glanced around the room. Apparently, everyone else had been so caught up in their conversations with friends that they hadn't seen him. Nobody was staring at him or pointing in his direction. Well, there was that one guy in the back. A redhead wearing a basketball jersey. He seemed to be shooting a continuous, confused look towards Danny.

Tucker brought Danny's attention back with a tap on his shoulder. They were about to start a lab project.

* * *

After the fourth Erlenmeyer flask had shattered on the tile floor, Danny relinquished full control of the lab assignment to Tucker. The lunch bell came as a blessing for both boys, although they were held back a few minutes to clean their mess. Once the last shard of glass was thrown in the trash, the two of them fled to the cafeteria.

Sam was already seated at their normal table. The school meal - meatloaf that day - had been pushed to the opposite side of the table. Only a leafy green salad was allowed before the Goth's presence. When the boys arrived, Tucker gladly retrieved Sam's abandoned meatloaf and added it to his tray overflowing with cooked animal carcasses. Of the three, Danny had the most 'normal' looking meal.

"Hey guys," addressed Sam. "What's up?"

Tucker had already begun to stuff his face, earning a grimace from Sam. Danny took the chance to speak on his behalf.

"Nothing much." he shrugged and gave a nervous smile. Sam responded with a pointed look. "Okay, no, that's a lie. A lot has been going on."

Danny proceeded to fill Sam in on the morning's events. Tucker piped in when Danny described what happened in science class. They finished their tale while Sam seemed to be deep in thought. "And you haven't been feeling sick or anything?"

"No, not really," he replied. "I sorta get a tingling feeling when I pass through things. You know, like when your foot falls asleep and it feels like pins and needles when blood flow returns. Feels just like that."

"And none of this seems, I don't know, spooky to you?"

"Uh, more weird than anything," Danny regarded his friend. What was she getting at?

Sam sighed then wiggled her fingers as she rephrased, "I mean, a bit ghostly?"

Danny's eyes grew wide. "What?"

"Walking through walls? That shit isn't normal."

"You don't mean I might be dead. Do you?" Danny gulped. He didn't feel dead. Although, he didn't know what being dead was supposed to feel like.

"Nah," said Tucker. "You're too fleshy." He poked Danny's shoulder to prove his point. "Besides, you're still breathing and you must've felt hungry or else you wouldn't be eating."

He was right about the breathing at least. However, Danny suddenly felt that he had lost his appetite. "Then what's going on with me?"

"Hold on." Tucker said as he pulled out his ever-trusty PDA. Danny looked over and noticed Tucker had typed 'ghosts' into the search bar.

"Hey," Sam barked. Danny returned his attention to her. "Do you know what powers the portal?"

"Besides electricity, I think it also uses the green goop."

"You mentioned 'green goop' yesterday. What is it exactly?"

"Pretty sure my parents called it ecto, uh, platypus?"

"You mean ectoplasm?" Tucker joined in.

"Yeah, sure." Danny tended to tune out his parents' scientific lectures. Most of the terms they used were jargon to him anyways.

"Tucker, can you look that up too?"

"Hold on," he ground out through his teeth. "One thing at a time."

"Do you think it has something to do with-" Danny lifted his hand, which had blinked out of existence once again. "-this?

Now it was Sam's turn for her eyes to grow wide. "Yeah, sure. Put that down before someone else sees!"

Danny obliged while Tucker's face lit up.

"Here we go. It says here that ghosts have the ability to turn intangible. It is an act that allows them to pass through solid objects. The article also mentions that ghosts are made of ectoplasm."

"So, you must've been soaked in ectoplasm when the portal turned on and now you have ghost powers!" Sam deduced.

"You might also experience things like floating or invisibility," mentioned Tucker. "Apparently they're also common ghost powers."

Danny groaned. "Just great. Now I've gotta worry about floating off into space and suffocating to death."

"It's not all bad," said Tucker. "You could instead slip through the floor and keep falling till you hit the Earth's core and melt to death in boiling magma."

Sam kicked Tucker hard in the shin. "Ow! What was that for?" he yelled. Sam nodded her head towards Danny, who had gone sheet white.

"Sorry man, I was only kidding."

"What I don't understand," started Sam. "Is why you looked like... something else."

"What do you mean?" asked Danny.

"You didn't look like a ghost," she answered.

"How do you know what a ghost is supposed to look like?"

"I don't. But I doubt ghosts look like-" she cut herself off.

"Like what?"

Sam chewed her bottom lip, an unsavory habit she had yet to conquer. Her teeth scraped away bits of dark purple lipstick, revealing pale pink flesh beneath.

"Danny, you looked like a demon."

"I know," he said bluntly, his eyes shifting away. "I saw the pictures. I just wish I knew what all this meant."

"You know we got your back." Tucker said with a goofy grin. "We'll help you through whatever _this_ is."

Danny smiled despite a feeling of dread that began to settle over him. Sometimes he didn't think he deserved such great friends. Through thick and thin, he knew they would stand by him.

"Thanks, you guys. But let's hope these powers are only temporary, not permanent. I'd rather not give my parents heart attacks."

"You don't seem to be too fazed by all this." Sam arched a thick brow over her purple eyes. "All in all, you seem pretty calm."

"Trust me, I'm freaking out on the inside."

* * *

 **I've been thinking of changing the story title to Smoke and Mirrors. I was listening to the song and payed closer attention to the lyrics and it seems like a fitting song for the theme of the story. What do y'all think?**

 **To Emeraldtooth: That's awesome! I checked out those songs and they're pretty cool. Thanks for the suggestions!**

 **To anyone: I have a sorta growing playlist of songs I might use for naming chapters. If you'd like to give me some suggestions, don't be afraid to send some music titles!**

 **Also, thumbs up to anyone who recognized the kid in the back of Danny's science class.**


	6. Sucky AN sorry

Okay so here's the deal.

I was unable to work on the latest chapter due to a series of unfortunate events (lol).

Everyone at work has been asking time off and I've been picking up all their shifts and had to work plenty of doubles over the weekends (at least I got plenty of Christmas money). Teachers have been cramming the material for finals. There was a bomb threat at my campus (proved to be a prank but still freaked me out). My sister's fiancée's grandma just passed away, my back went through a week of spasming 'cause of a past injury that bothers me when I stress my shoulder too much, and ranch got spilled inside my backpack and somehow only splashed over the notebook that I've been writing this fic in.

THANKFULLY finals for winter term are rapidly approaching and I will have relatively more time and motivation to work on Where Demons Hide during the break. I'm so sorry for all the excuses and the rant I've thrown at you. Thank you so much for reading and continuing your support. Once the next chapter is ready, I will replace this A/N so it won't be here to interrupt the story for new readers or if anyone bothers to reread this.


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